A
new so-called ‘selfie
museum’ in capital of Hungary that
lets guests pose by pink palm trees and
frolic in colored sprinkle
baths has verified a success with social-media savvy
locals and tourists alike.
With almost 30,000 guests since it opened last December, the “Selfie museum,” billed as the 1st of
its kind in Europe, is already one
amongst the Hungarian capital’s hottest attractions.
Its creators say their idea, inspired by the
same venue in the U.S.A., is targeted at the younger
generation trying to find an edge to
their status updates
or profile photos.
“We play with shapes and colors, and try to push people’s borders
and let their creative thinking bloom,”
Lilla Gangel, who co-founded
the museum along with her partner Balazs
Koltai, said.
Visitors entering the first of 11 exhibition rooms are met with
palm trees growing from the walls and pink-colored ceilings and surroundings.
“Here you can stand out from the group, maybe by
finding a crazy new perspective like an aerial photograph,
or by playing with the quirky props,” said 33-year-old Gangel.
“There are more and more places on the web where you can share photos, we’re
living in this kind of world currently, whether we adore it or
not,” she said.
The selfie opportunities among the 11 interactive installations at
the 400-square-metre facility include a
ride on banana swings, a climb on a unicorn, or a lounge on large macaroons.
Word concerning the new museum has unfolded quickly, unsurprisingly, on platforms
like Instagram and Snapchat.
“They’re typical teenagers, They like
Instagram and photos,” Oli, an Israeli tourist said whereas her
young daughters threw exaggerated poses behind her.
“These are the days we live in, what can you do,” she laughed.
Typical visitors are aged between 13 and 30, in line with Gangel, though recently a pair of pensioners popped in
to to pup their photos
for an annual calendar
they present to each other.
Panka Major, an 18-year-old Hungarian student, said she was an obsessive user of social
media however lamented that
“nowadays everybody checks
their phones every minute”.
“It’s a natural thing however also bad, as you do not live
in the moment, and
instead reach for a phone to record it,” she said.